No more Six Nations games on a Friday night. Well, for the foreseeable future. Well done the Six Nations committee, not words that I've penned too often.

Now, come next Friday evening in Cardiff, and in millions of front-rooms the length of breadth of Wales and England, there will be great tension, a tingling air of expectation, and gallons of ale to the ready. The TV audience on the Beeb will be huge. The match will garner headlines across all the Saturday papers ( well, if the bloody wi-fi works, it will ) and it'll be the centre piece of sporting action for that 24 hours.

So, why ditch it? Why the rejoicing in these parts? In short, it's a victory for the fans, for those who prefer their sport in the raw, for those who relish the live experience and, above all else, for those prepared to travel to support their team. If Friday championship games continued, it… Read More

The game of rugby union has never been less violent, less prone to random acts of brutality or less contaminated by mindless punch-ups conducted by morons. Mind you, the psychos usually went missing when the things got really fractious. There’s a clear difference between hard men and thugs. Sadly, the Quinnell family will not be spending too much time pondering the philosophical nuances of this little paradox.

Yes, the game may well be cleaner but why, oh why, do we have such instances as the one that has left the Quinnell’s son, Gavin, without sight in his left eye, or outbreaks of gouging which have seen three Stade Francais players alone banned for significant chunks of time over the last 12 months ? Ha… Read More

A day at the Munich beer festival, all expenses paid, ale on tap… or a day out in Cardiff with the media who've not been the most kindly as regards your England captaincy ? Tough one that, eh ?

In fact, Steve Borthwick is the Leaping Wolf of rugby. He'd have done as he was told. In fact, he did do as he was told.. and headed to lagerland. Were Saracens right to blank European Rugby Cup ? To snub the media ? To forsake the PR reputation of Europe's most prestigious competition for a few hours with lads alongside whom he's spent countless hours ?

Saracens set great store on their own sense of community. A couple of nights on… Read More

Abandon him to his sequins? Tell him to stop being a big girl's blouse? Drop the bling and get in the swing with his mates at Ospreys? Has he got any mates left at Ospreys? Sign for Wasps and take the money?

Gavin has had three big news-day hits over this past week. Not bad media mileage for a bloke who hasn't laced a boot in mild amusement let alone anger for 18 months. That's the power of celebrity. A curse or a boon? As for that poster campaign for the new Wales shirt, well shame on the WRU.

Anyway, I don't mind Henson. Not that I've had to deal with him too much. He's always been a bit of an outsider, ever since former Swansea coach, John Connolly… Read More

It's late at night here in Australia but my phone has not stopped beeping for the last hour or so as mates of all persuasions get in touch to let me know that Andy Ripley has passed away. I've written about Rips a few times, in the paper and for online. I've never had such response to any posting on any subject. The man certainly touched chords. I passed on all those comments to his family. They were all read and all much appreciated. Love was very important to him. There will be tributes in tomorrow's paper. Raise a glass to him this weekend if you get a chance. He'd like that.

James O'connor scoring a try during the Australian Barbarians 28-28 draw with England at the Members Equity Stadium on June 8. (Image: Getty Images)

He's 19 years old, small, baby-faced and deadly with ball-in-hand. James O'Connor became the second youngest Wallaby when making his debut two years ago. Last June he scored a hat-trick against Italy. On Tuesday night he scored his second hat-trick in an Australian shirt, this time for the Barbarians against England. He's got nerve, spirit and skill. And he's not even guranteed a starting slot in the Wallaby test team. But O'Connor is very much in the mix, a typical Aussie with plenty of get-up-and-go. Now, would England have picked such a… Read More

They're probably still standing at the Grovesnor House in London. MC Martin Bayfield is still probably lost for words. And the eyes of the 1,000- strong gathering of some of the toughest hombres in rugby will still be moist this morning. Andy Ripley has that kind of effect on people. Always has. Always will.

Even though now the ravages of prostate cancer are painfully clear to see. The blindness. The shrivelled form. The failing voice. But there was a defiant little clench of the fist. A wave of the hand. And some poignant words.

"No, I will not turn my head to the wall yet and die." And, most throat-catching of all: " I can't see you.. which is a bit crappy."

Bags will be packed on Friday for a weekend chez les Francais, never an unpleasant prospect no matter what they might say in return about les Rosbifs. Paris and the Stade de France on Saturday for the all-French HCup final, then TGV down to Marseille and the Stade Velodrome next morning for Jonny Wilkinson, sorry, Toulon against Cardiff Blues.

And next year? The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

And the year after ? Twickenham.

Hmm, not quite the same ring. Look, the Millennium is a great stadium. No question. But come on, ERC, it's time to be bold. What about Marseille for a final ? Or Barcelona. Or the San Siro ? I have no doubt that the stadiums would sell out, no matter who made it to the final. It's time for new horizons. Time for the sponsors to live up to their billing and to reach the parts that others can't or… Read More

I haven't quite come round to the notion of the play-offs but at least my brazen contempt for the concept has eased. When a team is deprived of its leading players for a good chunk of the season then there is some logic in giving sides an insurance policy through a play-off system.

Even so, we ought to be acclaiming Leicester now for being first past the post. Funny that, isn't there someone else out there not quite declared the winner even though he too was first past the post? Instead, the climax of the season is yet to be played out. Pity in some ways for it means that most of our focus this past few weeks has been on who goes down. The top of the table has become a side issue. That can't be right.

So, one place to be settled. Bath it will surely be. And who will be Premiership… Read More